POINK Balls!

POINK Balls!

Wha wha what?  What in the wide world of sports is a POINK Ball?  It all started when I saw a recipe on The BBQ Grail.  The recipe was for MOINK Balls - Moo + Oink = MOINK - basically the recipe called for (beef) meatballs wrapped in bacon and smoked slow and low.  Sounded great to me!  Tried it!  Possibly one of the best things I've ever put in my.... er.... they were awesome!

Lately I've been kinda more picky about my meats.  I'd like to get as fresh as possible and know what's in my meat.  Ground Beef can be anything - ground chuck is better - it has to be what it says on the label - ground beef is - well - beef - honestly, that sounds kinda generic.  Back to the story.

No ground chuck.  Drat!  There goes my whole idea of MOINK Balls.  Wait a minute - what about ground pork?  I'm already wrapping these bad boys in bacon so obviously, I'm down with pork.  Would they be called OINK Balls?  POINK just sounds funner.....  So.....

Ground Pork - 2.5lbs
Bacon - Thick Cut - 1lb
Seasoning - whatever you think would work!

I added about 6 table spoons of Kirkland (Costco) Sweet Mesquite Seasoning to the ground pork.  You can use whatever meatball recipe you have but I was keeping it simple.  No bread crumbs, no eggs, nothing special.  I was worried that the meatballs would fall apart but they didn't.  This worked fine.

 I tried to form the meatballs into 1oz balls but they kept getting bigger as I went so instead of fighting my urge, I rolled with it.  They ended up around 2oz I'm guessing - a little bigger than golf balls.

 I cut the bacon pack in half and wrapped each meatball with a 1/2 piece of bacon.

Upon further inspection, you can see that I did not mix the Sweet Mesquite into the ground pork very well.  Next time I promise to do better.

 I thought adding another layer of flavor wouldn't hurt - since I didn't mix the Sweet Mesquite in too well, this would add another pop of flavor - Simply Marvelous Cherry Rub.  Steph from Simply Marvelous doesn't pay me (he should) for these comments so straight from my heart - buy his products!  You will NOT be disappointed!  All of his dry rubs are - well - Simply Marvelous!

 I put a healthy amount of the Cherry rub on each POINK Ball - then I flipped them over for another coat.

 Don't be shy with the dry rub!










I smoked the POINK Balls on my Royall 3000 Pellet Grill @ 225 F.

Disclaimer - Meat, Inc. BBQ Team is proudly sponsored by Royall!

No Royall Pellet Grill yet?  You can cook these on any direct heat source: charcoal, gas grill, or even in the oven!



You might have noticed that I had a few pieces of bacon left over.  If I had made the meatballs the correct size, this probably wouldn't have happened - BUT - I'm not going to throw away the tastiest meat known to man.  Let's make a little Pig Candy!  Basically sprinkled some more Cherry Rub on both sides and put the strips of bacon on the grate.



After about 1 hour, I flipped all the POINK balls over.  Not really needed since I was cooking indirect but it's nice to see the grate marks on the meat.  After 1 hour the internal temp was about 145F.






After 2 hours or so, the internal temp was around 180F.  Overcooked for pork for sure but I wanted to make sure the bacon was completely done.  I was mostly determining the "doneness" by the look of the bacon but I like to take the temperature of my ......um..... I like to verify the temp of my .....er.... I have to see if the meat is done.



I plated the POINK Balls up with some Napa Cabbage Slaw topped with Pig Candy and a side of pork chops.  Now, that's a meal!

 I was a little worried that the pork meatball would be dry since the internal temp was so high but it was super juicy!  You can see the smoke ring penetrated almost all the way to the center.  You can also see my poor job if spice distribution in the ground pork but - I can't beat myself up forever!

Let's eat!

Habanero Death Dust Hot Wings

Oakridge BBQ Habanero Death Dust Hot Wings



Oakridge BBQ makes a wide range of dry rubs - all of them are excellent.  Now - I love hot wings but it's not just about heat - it's got to be flavor AND heat.  If you feel the same way - this is THE dry rub.  









Most hot wings are deep fried and then tossed in sauce to make the hot.  I prefer getting some dry rub on the wings and then smoking them.  I'm also a fan of soaking in a vinegar based hot sauce (Frank's) but the wings can get dried out from the vinegar and the wings will lose their flavor as they are smoked.  Obviously - I wouldn't deep fry my wings - not when I have 5 smokers in my back yard.

 You may also notice that I also don't use the standard chicken wing sized pieces - I only use full size drum sticks.  Why not?  Who wants to eat a little bit of meat off of each piece of chicken?  Not me!

I smoked this batch of wings on my pellet smoker at 250F. 

When these bad boys hit 175 F internal temp - took about 90 minutes, it was time to let them rest for a few minutes and then time to dig in.  It takes a few minutes to realize that these aren't soaked in sauce and really messy like standard bar style hot wings but once you realize how incredible these are, you won't miss wiping your hands and face after each bite.





I also cooked a second batch of wings on the WSM over charcoal and I used some apple chunks to get some extra smoke and flavor.  The charcoal adds another layer of flavor.  Up to you to decide which way you prefer.

Once the wings got up to about 160F - it was time for a little special treatment.......










Leaf Blower Time!


What is leaf blower time?  Well......

The nice thing about deep fried wings is the crispy skin.  This is tough to achieve on a smoker - BUT - when you can super heat the air around the wings, you can get that skin crispy - hence - leaf blower time.

This is a tricky operation and it took me a few times to get right.  Too much air and the blower literally blows the hot air right out of the cooker.  Make sure there is enough fuel that can take the heat.  If all your coals are burned out, this trick will not work.  Charcoal is also tough to work with as it will only get so hot.  Some nice size pieces of lump work great but they should also be started through the burn process or you may get some creosote flavor.  If you plan right and get some lump in the fire about 30 minutes before leaf blower time - say when the chicken has been on for 45 minutes - you should be fine.  I let the leaf blower idle - this was plenty of air flow and get that WSM pit up to - well.... whatever - the temp guage was pegged.  I'm guessing around 450 - 500 F.  I let this rip for about 3 - 5 minutes.  This created the perfect amount of crispiness on the skin.

Don't forget to stay properly hydrated while using the leaf blower and eating hot wings!


A final word of advise - this rub is potent!  You can really control the amount of heat by the amount of rub you put on the chicken.  Start with less than you think you need and work your way up.  This rub also has some incredible depth of flavor.  You will be completely surprised - happily surprised!

Please visit Oakridge BBQ - try all of their rubs - you will not be disappointed!

Disclaimer - Oakridge BBQ is a sponsor of the Meat, Inc.  BBQ Team but I did purchase this dry rub - it was not given to me.  I always provide an honest review regardless of the relationship with the manufacturer.

Royall Pellet Grills!

We would like to welcome Royall Wood Pellet Grills as an official sponsor of the Meat, Inc. BBQ Team!



The team has been using a wide variety of smokers over the years to cook our competition meats.  We have been using pellet grills since the very beginning - since 2005 - so we know pellet grills.  Some of the issues using pellet grills in the past have been the thin material of the cooking chamber and the quality of the grill itself.  Thin material leads to heat loss and large temperature swings.  Temp swings leads to changes in cooking times and ultimately the quality of the meat turned in to the judges or our families.  The Royall Grills have really thick hulls / cooking chambers which leads to a tighter temperature band and better quality meats.  In fact - all the material used in the construction of this grill is THICK!  Thick material equals a sturdy base, thick skin, and a long lasting unit.  This smoker is built to last!

The Royall Wood Pellet Smokers have a digital controller so you can set the cooking temp and let the controller feed wood pellets with the auger into the cooking chamber as needed.  All the units have a hot rod that automatically starts the pellets and cooking cycle.  You can't beat that!  My wife won't go near a propane grill and forget charcoal - this unit allows her to walk out to the grill, set the temp, and put meat on the grate within minutes.  Since they are all indirect heat, it is perfect for anything from vegetables, pizza, chicken, and even biscuits and pies.  This grill can cook from 400F plus down to 180F - allowing you to cook slow and low to higher temp cooks.  The auger continuously feeds pellets in as needed so you don't have to monitor the cooker as your brisket or pork butt slowly cooks to perfection.

Even though we have used this smoker only a few times, the quality of the pit is evident and we are proud to call the Royall 3000 THE competition meat pit for our team.  I encourage you to check out their web site, take a look at their product line, and then start asking me some questions so I can help you make an educated decision on which BBQ would fit you best.  You can also see this killer smoker in action at any of our competitions.  Please come see us for a full tour and some samples of the incredible food coming off this beast!

You can also visit the Royall web site for more information!

2012 Meat, Inc. BBQ Team Schedule

Meat, Inc. BBQ Team 2012 BBQ Season Schedule. 

The following is the planned schedule for the 2012 BBQ Schedule.  Please check back often - the schedule will change as we add more competitions as more events are sanctioned that we can add to our schedule!

• Jan 27 / 28 - Havasu City, AZ - Lake Havasu Music Brews and BBQ Championship
• March 11 - Santa Anita Race Track Winners Circle BBQ Championship
• March 31 - Las Vegas, NV (Mandalay Bay) - Academy of Country Music BBQ Throwdown
• April 7 - Wildomar, CA - The Ultimate BBQ Showdown - East v West
• April 28 - Indio, CA - Stagecoach Music Festival BBQ Championship
• May 12 - Long Beach, CA - West Coast BBQ Classic
• June 9 - Orange County, CA - Orange County Kristie's BBQ Festival
• June 23 - Temecula, CA - Pechanga BBQ Championship
• August 4 - Vista, CA - Vista Smokin' Classic
• September 29 - Dana Point, CA - Dana Point BBQ Championship

Thank you to our sponsors for helping us make this schedule happen!  Please visit them when you get a chance:

Resers Fine Foods

Ballast Point Brewing Company

Royall Wood Pellet Grills

Oakridge BBQ Rubs

Welcome the newest Meat, Inc. BBQ Team Sponsor - Ballast Point Brewing Company!

Meat, Inc. BBQ Team has finished up the 2011 season with some great results including California State Champion in Chicken at Stagecoach and several top 10 calls to go along with our multiple People's Choice awards! We appreciate all the support from our team and our fans! Thank you! We are now preparing for the 2012 season with our first competition coming up in Havasu City, AZ on January 27/28. 

Meat, Inc. would like to welcome our newest sponsor - Ballast Point Brewing Company from San Diego, CA. We will be utilizing their outstanding beer in our competition meat injections, soaks, and sauces as well as our very popular People's Choice offerings. Ballast Point will also ensure the Meat, Inc. team is properly hydrated during the competitions! Thank you Ballast Point Brewing Company for your support and we'll see you all on the BBQ Trail!

Please visit Ballast Point.  Check out their web site for tasting room hours and location.  You will not be disappointed!

You can also follow Ballast Point on Facebook!

Yep - Ballast Point is also on Twitter! - @BPbrewing

Get the Point!

2011 BBQ Season Results!

2011 was a great year for Meat, Inc. BBQ Team.  A huge thanks to all the team members - you know who you are - and a special thanks to our incredible fans who helped us to several People's Choice Championships throughout this season.  We'd also like to thank our sponsors - they had a huge part in our success:

Oakridge BBQ
T & H Meats
Big Daddy Black BBQ

Here are the results for the Great State of California (per CBBQA Website)

Overall - 48th
Chicken - 11th (tied)
Ribs - 20th
Pork - 47th (tied)
Brisket - 66th

Nationally - throughout the United States - here's how we did (Updated with final KCBS Standings 1/20/12):

Overall - 453 / out of 9163 teams
Chicken - 214 / out of 9163 teams
Ribs - 383 / out of 9163 teams
Poek - 467 / out of 9163 teams
Brisket - 561 / out of 9163 teams

Thanks again and we'll see you on the BBQ Trail in 2011!

Smoked Beef Tenderloin

Smoked Beef Tenderloin

This cut of meat is perfect for a fantastic Holiday meal with family and friends or a special occasion.  It is quite expensive, so let's cook it right and savor every bite!

Beef Tenderloin is probably the most tender portion of the cow - this is where the Fillet Mignon steak is sliced from.  If you pick up one of these pieces of meat you can slice it into the size steaks you want but one of my favorite things to do is smoke the entire cut at once.  It's kind of like a really great piece of Prime Rib Roast - but better.



 My favorite way to cook this cut of meat is on the smoker but you can easily do it in the oven too.  You could cook it on a charcoal grill if you cook it in indirect heat and if your grill is large enough.  I wouldn't recommend cooking on a gas grill unless the grill is extra large and you have good control over the temperature on the indirect side.

There are only two ingredients for this cook - beef tenderloin and thick cut bacon.

First step is to dry rub the meat down with your favorite dry rub.  There are lots of techniques to get the rub to stick to the meat better - like slathering the meat with mustard or worchestire - but my favorite is to use olive oil.  After the meat is rubbed down with one of your favorite binding agents, go ahead and get a heavy layer of your favorite dry rub.  A simple suggestion is equal parts of black pepper, sea salt, and granulated garlic.  Sometimes simple is better. 

 After the meat is dry rubbed, layer the thick cut bacon over the entire cut of meat.  Why?  Because everything is better wrapped in bacon!  This piece of meat typically has enough marbling / fat to keep it moist during the cook - AND - we are going to pull this meat at as low of a temp you can handle but wrapping in bacon adds a little extra flavor.

Since this meat has to be pulled off at a very specific internal temp, make sure you use some type of meat probe so you can monitor the cook.  I cooked this on the smoker at a grate temp of 225F.  When the internal temp hits 135F, I pulled it off the cooker, removed the bacon, wrapped it in foil and then in a beach towel and placed in a clean, dry cooler to rest for 30 minutes.  This temp will have your meat at a perfect medium rare 138 or so after resting.  The resting will also allow the juices in the meat to re-distribute throughout the meat ensuring it is super juicy. 

Since this cut of meat was wrapped in bacon during the cook, there isn't a really thick crust or bark on the outside but you can see the flavor wrapped around the outside from the dry rub.  Let's slice this bad boy open!

 Kind of like a really great prime rib, slice this cut in nice, thick slices.  You can see the inside is pink and the pink extends all the way to the edge of the meat.  You can also see how incredibly juicy the meat is.  Combine this with your favorite meat sides like baked potatoes, some bacon wrapped asparagus, or some stuffed mushroom caps.  Let's eat!